It is one of the most elite universities in the world - where each and every graduate is expected to go on to become a billionaire, future world leader, or both. Yet despite being more exclusive than Oxford, MIT and Harvard, most people have never even heard of it.

Singularity University, a small unaccredited institute based at Nasa's research centre in northern California, is attracting the brightest minds in America and beyond.

At SU biology, physics, computer science are replaced with synthetic biology, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence. And on top of that to keep up with what the university calls the "exponential growth of technology", the syllabus has to be re-written fives times a year.

According to Ross Shott, managing director of the graduate studies programme, people would pay millions to know what they teach at SU, so "who needs academic accreditation?"

Rumor has it that Google is working on a free, open access platform for the research, collaboration and publishing of peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Wired UK received a document, sent anonymously, detailing how "Google Science" would bring together existing services such as Google Docs, Google Plus, YouTube and more to create a platform that challenges the paid-for model of scientific publishing.

A Google spokesperson is currently looking into the validity of a burgeoning "Google Science" project but meanwhile it does raise an interesting debate that has been brewing for many years now: the domination of the paid journal mode.

The proposed platform would integrate Google's search algorithm to make discovery far better, and increase collaboration between scientists by integrating Google Plus. "After establishing a social network of scientists, its collaborative power will produce the tools of the future," the document predicts.

In spite of all this, Google's past activities in the space -- including with Google Scholar -- also suggest it's entirely likely the company has an interest in open access publishing.

Florida Polytechnic University in Tampa has just opened. The campus has a gorgeous library building that features a sunlit arched roof and cozy reading chairs - but not a single book. A fully digital library is among the futuristic features of Florida Polytechnic University's striking dome-shaped building, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

At the library students can access more than 135,000 ebooks on their choice of reader, tablet or laptop. The university budgeted $60,000 to buy titles through software allowing students one free browse. With the second click, the university purchases the digital book. "Instead of the librarian putting books on the shelf that I think would be relevant, the students are choosing," said Kathryn Miller, the university's director of libraries.

Old-fashioned books can be requested on loan from libraries at Florida's 11 other public universities.

Without stacks to organize, librarians staffing the main reference desk, which is called a success desk, will steer students to tutoring resources and train them in managing digital materials.

Carlos Slim Foundation Features Coursera on New Site for U.S. Hispanic CommunityCoursera

The Carlos Slim Foundation is Coursera’s major partner in the Spanish-speaking world. The partnership aims to improve access to education among Spanish speaking learners.

On August 12th, The Carlos Slim Foundation unveiled Acceso Latino a completely free website that can provide Latinos access to better opportunities through education, learning English, and job training.

Acceso Latino will provide content, free of charge and in Spanish, in each of these critical areas: Online job training for in-demand employment; academic education from elementary to the university level provided by Khan Academy, MIT-Open Course Ware, Coursera and Académica; online resources for learning English; Health care information on common topics, including professional medical advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the whole family; and information on human and labor rights.

Each year, students have more choices for how to spend their limited book budgets. Used bookstores and online resale marketplaces offer textbooks at steep discounts that are attractive to students, and recently, a new type of player, the rental-textbook retailer, has emerged.

This McKinsey research suggests that textbook rentals will start to cannibalize new-textbook sales by 2017, resulting in a reduction in new-book sales of 5 to 10 percent by 2020. Textbook publishers face crucial choices about how to respond to these changing competitive and marketplace demands.

The good news is that textbook publishers have options that may protect them from this threat while benefiting students and educators.

The larger opportunity for publishers lies in the digital tools and the creation of dynamic digital-learning resources. Many publishers already are creating adaptive exercises, digital text with interactive graphics, audio, and video, and desktop simulations.

Every teacher has big dreams at the start of each school year. So how can you ensure that this year will be the year? The year that students will really use all of the amazing resources that their school, friends, and the Internet provide?

Here are five strategies you can use during the first days of school to make these dreams a reality.